10 Benefits of Raising Your Own Chickens

Some people dismiss having chickens as being hard, expensive work. Something for farmers or something that won’t give you any benefits. Is it really worth it? What are the benefits of raising chickens?

It’s cheap.

Yes, there are some initial costs like getting them a proper housing, however, once you get through those costs, chickens are really cheap to maintain, just take a look at our poultry feed products! And you don’t need to buy specialized food for them all the time. You can feed them a lot of your leftovers that you’re already throwing away, such as meat, cheeses and dried cereal which will also lower your food waste. Keeping chickens isn’t just cheap, but will also save you money on other things too.

The best compost.

It may not be too appealing to clean up after your chickens, however, chicken litter is the best compost you can give to your garden. According to the University of Florida, their manure is highly valuable due to its high nutrient content.

Natural pest control.

Another benefit of raising chickens is their appetite for bugs. They devour flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, pretty much any bug! Between their manure and their free pest control, your garden will never look as stunning!

Educational value.

The daily upkeep that chickens require will help you learn a lot about them and how to care for them. If you have kids, chickens can also be an invaluable teaching tool to help them learn self-sustainability, responsibility, compassion and the basics on where food comes from; all while giving them lots of fun in a unique growing up experience.

Fresh, organic, cruelty-free eggs.

Free range eggs have multiple benefits!

There are multiple health and ethical benefits to producing your own eggs. Some studies have shown that free-range eggs are higher in Omega-3 and other nutrients and lower in cholesterol and saturated fats than eggs bought in a store. By raising your own chickens you can also make sure that they are truly cruelty-free since there are no defined guidelines as to what “free-range” eggs have to be and less that 1% of eggs are considered to be truly free-range in the United States. There’s also no rival in flavor to fresh eggs! Eggs from your own chickens will be the most nutritious, delicious and ethically produced eggs you can get.

Therapy benefits.

Caring for animals has been linked to multiple health benefits, such as lowered chances of depression and higher life spans. Chickens have also been shown to be helpful with children in the autism specter and people with Alzheimer, dementia and other psychiatric issues. The calming and entertaining nature of a flock’s behavior is sure to benefit you and your loved ones.

Weed removal.

Domestic chickens absolutely love weeds, leaves, and grass clippings. Forget about the hard cleanup after mowing the lawn and putting all of the clippings in a plastic bag waiting for them to be removed; a small flock of chickens can remove that in less than a week!

Greener and self-sustainable life.

The regular American wastes about a third of the food they grow, which causes a huge carbon footprint. By having chickens your food waste go down and your source of eggs won’t have to be transported from miles away. Also, you can forget about salmonella outbreaks and chicken recalls! As we previously mentioned, not only will you be getting daily eggs, you’ll also be getting weed removal and pest control from your chickens. If you use that to start planting your own fruits and vegetables you will be depending less and less from other people, it’ll seem harder to waste food that you grew yourself and you can help the planet by dramatically decreasing your carbon footprint.

It’s easy.

One of the most unexpected benefits of raising chickens is how easy it can be. You don’t need to walk, brush or feed three times a day. All you need to do regularly is keep their feeders and water supply clean and filled, keep an eye on them to make sure they are healthy, and change their bedding once a month. In exchange, you’ll have a daily source of free eggs!

Great pets.

Chickens aren’t only some of the most useful pets you can have, but they can recognize and establish bonds with each member of your family! They’ll run to meet you in the morning, enjoy being cuddled, and like to keep you company while you’re working on the lawn. If you love and care for them, they’ll love and care for you back.

Ready to get your own chickens? Please keep in mind that they will depend on you every day to take care of them. Get to know the chicken breeds and find out what’s the best option for you to start building them a home!

You will be stunned by your garden, that’s true. You’ll be flabbergasted at how much destruction just a couple of hens can do. As to eating up the grass clippings, if they are not super chopped up they can cause serious impaction in the chicken’s crop. Not recommended. Besides, if they have access to the lawn you are cutting they’d much rather pull and scratch the growing grass out by the roots. I wish someone would tell my layers they are supposed to eat flies rather than draw flies… Whoever wrote this is no chicken keeper.

Before I got my chickens, I could take 15 ticks off my dogs every time they went out after my chickens came, I don’t even find what takes on my dog, I know they keep the mosquitoes at bay because without them they were a lot thicker, I know that they eat grasshoppers and I’ve seen them kill lizards and mice I haven’t had a mouse problem since they came to my home.

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